Read The Academy (Moving In Series Book 6) for Free Online Page A

campus and all, but you’re the only one who’ll know the truth.”
    “Alright, Mitchell,” Dave said. “You’re certain you don’t need my help?”
    “I won’t hesitate to call you if that changes, Dave,” Mitchell said. “I’m sorry to have woken you up so early, but I wanted to tell you.”
    “No, I appreciate it,” Dave said. “Call me when it’s all said and done, Mitchell.”
    “I will. Bye now.”
    After David said goodbye and hung up, Mitchell put the phone back on the table. He hesitated for a moment before he stood up and went upstairs. He needed to get ready for work.
     

Chapter 13: Strange Behavior
     
    Larry showed up for work at seven in the morning. In one hand, he had a cup of coffee and in the other he had a Hostess cupcake. Both were part of his morning ritual. He would stop at Dashiell’s corner store at six, drink a coffee with the man and complain leisurely about politics, the weather, sports, and anything else which happened to cross their minds.
    At a quarter to seven, Larry would get a second cup of coffee, buy a package of cupcakes, and eat one of the vanilla frosted wonders before he even left the store’s parking lot. The second one, he would eat once he got to his office in the basement of the Admin building on campus.
    Today, Larry knew, was different.
    They would speak about Marilyn, and ‘they’ happened to be the other staff and faculty members at the school. They weren’t a tight-knit group, but they were co-workers. The slights and insults of the days and weeks before would be forgotten. They were small and petty in light of Marilyn’s suicide.
    Larry was thankful the kids weren’t around for the death. He didn’t envy the task Mitchell, and the guidance counselors would have once the students returned.
    He shook his head, turned off the engine to his old Chevy big-block, and got out. The air was warm, muggy.
    It’ll be a hell of a day to work outside, Larry thought, nudging the car door closed with his hip. He took a sip of his coffee and wandered leisurely over to the back entrance of the Admin building. He balanced his cupcake on the lid of the disposable cup, unhooked his keys and unlocked the door. A moment later, he was down the stairs and into his office. He flicked on the lights, put his drink and food on the table, and dropped heavily into the old chair. Both he and the springs groaned simultaneously, and he eyed the computer warily.
    Bet there’ll be a hundred emails about Marilyn , he thought. He hesitated, and then with a shrug, he turned the computer on. While it powered up, the hard drive whining piteously, Larry finished his breakfast. He glanced at the calendar on the wall to see what he had penciled in for the day.
    Need to mow the baseball field, he thought. And there are the windows in the shop class. Need to put new screens in. Osterman’ll have a fit if I don’t. Maybe if he sweats a little more, he might lose some of that fat.
    Larry chuckled, scratched his head, and the humor left him.
    At the feel of his own hair beneath his fingers, Larry remembered the day before. Recalled painfully the new color of his short hair.
    He dropped his hand to the desk and angrily punched in his password, stabbing each letter with his index fingers.
    When the screen came up and he accessed his email, he snorted and shook his head.
    Ninety-eight new messages, he read.
    Heavy feet sounded in the hall, and Larry twisted around in his chair to see Bruce come into the doorway. The younger man was scowling, his Yankees ball cap pulled low.
    “What’s wrong?” Larry asked as Bruce went over and sat down on the old couch in the corner.
    Bruce pulled his hat off. The man had shaved his head.
    “What’d you do that for?” Larry asked.
    “Tried to dye my hair black last night,” Bruce said bitterly.
    “Didn’t take?” Larry said.
    “Naw, it didn’t,” Bruce said. “Damn eyebrows are white.”
    Larry nodded. “You hear about Marilyn?”
    “Yeah, Candy